


Fruitcake

by BarPurple



Series: Fandomas 2018 [14]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Christmas Magic?, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2018-12-18
Packaged: 2019-09-22 04:14:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17052917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BarPurple/pseuds/BarPurple
Summary: His aunts had taught him to make Christmas cake, and every year Gold followed their recipe.





	Fruitcake

Gold’s fruitcake was well on the way to being a boozy delight. This was the last time he would feed it with brandy. In a week he would ice it and then serve it up with whipped cream on Christmas Eve.

Carefully pouring the brandy over the cake he said;

“What do you think Aunties? There enough booze in there?”

He could hear their answers. From Agatha came the ‘Probably not’ and right on the heels of that was Ethel’s ‘Of course there is’.

He missed his aunts. They had raised him, taught him how to bake, encouraged his love of antiques. A lonely boy couldn’t have wished for better guardians. Every year he made his Christmas cake to their recipe, and nowadays just as he had when Neal was young, he made a non-boozy version for Gideon. Every year as he soaked the fruit, and baked the cake, he wished his aunts were still here with him.

Agatha had passed when Neal was five, Ethel had followed her less than a week later. It had been hell for Gold trying to make arrangements, while looking after his wife and son. The cracks that had appeared in his marriage had split wide open at that point; Milah had left him not long after the funerals. Gold might have fallen apart, except he had Neal to think of. At the time he’d consoled himself that he had a good example to follow, and that Neal had spent time with two of the best women in the world.

As he wrapped the cake up, Gold found himself once again wishing that Gideon had met Agatha and Ethel. His youngest son had seen photos and heard stories, but it wasn’t the same.

‘Can’t change time, Rum.’

‘With always with you.’

There were times when he could almost believe that his aunts were watching over him and his family.

On Christmas Eve Gold cut the cake to the appreciative oohhs and aahhs of his family. He was confused when Gid brought him two extra plates.

“We’ll cut Santa’s slice just before bedtime, son.”

“I know Papa, but Auntie Aga and Auntie Eth need a slice as well.”

Belle squeezed Gold’s shoulder and nodded toward the cake; “Perhaps a glass of sherry for them to?”

Gold snorted, but it was Gid who chimed in with; “They’d like Papa’s whiskey better.”

Gold looked over Gid’s head at Neal. His eldest shrugged and shook his head. In all the stories they had told Gid of Gold’s aunts they had never mentioned their favourite tipple, at least Gold didn’t think they had.

The plates for absent family were laid out, with a snifter glass of whiskey each. Later they were joined by the plate and sherry for Santa. Come the morning Gold saw that there was nothing left but crumbs on the plate and a dribble of whiskey in the bottom of the glasses. Him and Belle had eaten ‘Santa’s’ share after they had laid out the presents, but he’d not been able to bring himself to clear away his aunt’s plates.

Belle swore she hadn’t touched them, and Gid was suddenly singing a version of Jingle Bells that Agetha and Ethel had taught Gold when he was a lad. It was a bit of a mystery, but Gold couldn’t help but smile at the wee dram of Christmas magic that had visited his house.


End file.
